Material container



United States Patent Richard S. Jay 2526 Jackson Ave., Evanston, Illinois 60432 Aug. 16, 1968 Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 700,846, Jan. 26, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,503,519

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 lnventor Appl. No. Filed MATERIAL CONTAINER 2 Claims, 17 Drawing Figs.

11.8. C1. 2l4/l0.5, 2l1/60,214/l6.4

Int. Cl. B65g 1/14 Field of Search 105/369.

369U;2l4/10.5;21l/49, 60, 133,134; 108/53, 52, 51, 69, 177; 294/67, 67.43, 67.5; 224/49 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1899 Soule 214/10.5X

1,029,139 6/1912 Moltrup 214/10.5X

2,059,390 11/1936 Pagel 214/10.5UX

3,173,556 3/1965 Gaudriot et al 214/152X FOREIGN PATENTS 530,131 9/1956 Canada 214/10.5

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Frank E. Werner Attorney-Dominik, Knechtel and Godula ABSTRACT: Material containers for handling flexible material which are constructed to perform at least three functions, namely: to shape the flexible materials into a generally rectangular bundle; To provide longitudinal support for the flexible material when stored on racks of cantilever style; and to incorporate sufficient clearance at spaced supporting positions so that sling passageways are defined which permit the flexible material to be easily removed from the container, or without buckling or bending of the material.

Patented Ndv.3,1970 Y 3,531,599

Sheet .,1 of 4 Hu m INVIjN'l'OR. R/CHARD 5. c/A Y QM Maw Patented Nov. 3, 1970- INVENTOR. RICHARD 5. dA Y fimgwm ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet of 4 I N VENTOR.

M m d 4 w r A A H, mi

.nNwv on.

Patented Nov. 3, 1970 Sheet 4 of 4 nvvuM/me. R/CHARD S. dA Y A TTOPNEVS 1 MATERIALCONTAINER This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 700,846, filed Jan. 26,1968 now U.S. PatsNo. 3,503,519.

The present invention relates to material containers with sling clearance which find particular utility in the storage of long length materials such as flexible, semirigi d and rigid metal rods, strips, angles, and the like which would be used in screw machine operations,-steel' warehouse, and other locations where such materials are handled and stored for subsequent utilization in manufacturing.

Heretofore in storing such flexible materials, sheet metal troughs and the like positioned, in many. oascs,. on various size tacks or other supporting devices have been employed as a retaining means for the materials. The principal'difficulty with arrangements of this type arises when the entirety of the stored material is to be removed from the retaining means. This is made unusually difficult because slings can be passed around the flexible material only at its extreme ends. If reinforcing rods some 16 to ZO feet longare visualized, slinging a bundle of the same from their extreme ends would involve bending, if not bucklingto a pointwhere the rods are rendered either useless, or they must be straightenedtin order to be useful. Flexible materials, in long lengths, therefore, require support at intermediate points'along 'their lengths when bundled, in order to be conveniently. transferred by means of slings from one place to another;

In view of the foregoing, it isa primary objectofthe present invention to provide an improved materialcontainer for handling flexible material which is constructed'toperform at least three functions, namely:

1. To shape the-flexible materialsinto a generally rectangular bundle;

2. To provide longitudinal supportfor the flexible material when stored on racks of cantilevered style; and

3. To incorporate sufficient clearancesat spaced supporting positions so that sling passageways are defined which permit the flexible material to be easily removed from the container; and withoutbuckling or bending of the materi- As vwill become apparent hereinafter, the foregoing objectives are'achieved by a structure which differs from the conventional sheet metalslingsor troughs by providing an interruption for sling passageway in the structure to permit flexible tension members such as cable slingsor chains to be readily slipped around the materialfor removal of the same from the storage container.

A more detailed objectof the present invention is to provide a material container with sling clearance which can be readily fabricated out of angle stock, and dictates a minimum of jig type material for construction.

Still a further object of the present invention looks to the provision of a modular material container with sling clearance having a plurality of support modules which can be added each to the other for a wide variety of lengths depending-upon the material to be stored.

A further and useful object of the present invention is to provide a material container with sling clearance which hasa minimum weight ratio to the material'being stored so that hanclling equipment for moving the' material container and its contained flexible members from place to place is not burdened by anexcessive loadattributable to the container itself.

In many instances, a bundle of long length material, particularly sernirigid and rigid material's, need only be. kept in a generally rectangular-shaped bundle, to both permit the material to be transported andto permit dense utilization of storage space. In other words, no beam support, as provided by the above generally defined material container, is required but the other features of said materialcontainer are desirable. That is, a material container for semirigid and rigid materials of long length should=be functional to shape and to retain the material into a generally rectangular-shaped bundle, and to provide sufficient clearances so that they tines of a fork lift truck, cable slings and the like can be easily slipped under or around the material.

Accordingly, still another object of the invention is to provide a simple retaining cradle whichis particularly adapted for use with semirigid and rigid materials, to simplify transporting and storing it.

A still further object is to provide a simple retaining cradle of the above-described type which can be used in conjunction with the above generally defined material container, or independently of it.

Further objects and advantages of the subject invention will become apparent as the following description of illustrative embodiments proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. I is an end elevation of a plurality of the illustrative material containers with sling clearance illustrating diagrammatically how they are moved by a fork lift truck from a stacked positionto anorientation atop a storage rack.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the storage rack and material container shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the com ponent parts of a material container with sling passageways fabricated primarily fromangle iron.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the material container shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the relationship between a sling and the contained flexible material.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged exploded perspective broken view of .the corner members of an upper and lower material container illustrating how the same can be nested by means of an interlock assembly.

FIG. M5 21 side view of the interlock assembly shown in FIG. 5 illustrating the nesting relationship between the top post and bottom ring of two adjacent containers which have been stored each atop the other'such as shown in end view in FIG. 1".

FIG. 7 is a top view in reduced scale of the material container with sling passageway as shown in perspective in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a support module, a plurality of which are assembled in order to form the material container illustrated.

FIG. 9 is a front elevation of a material container in which four identical support modules have been assembled illustrating the flexibility in use of the support module structure.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified unitary imperforate type container with sling passageway.

FIG. 11 is a transverse sectional view of the modified container shown in FIG. 10 taken along section line 11-11 of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view generally illustrating two retaining cradles exemplary of the invention and the manner in which they are affixed about a bundle of material of long length (the latter being shown in phantom) to shape the bundle into a generally rectangular-shaped bundle.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged, broken, sectional view also taken substantially along lines 13-43 of FIG. 12, illustrating the manner in which the retaining strap means can be stored within the retaining cradle, when not in use.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a retaining cradle having nesting means affixed to it, to permit two retaining cradles to be stored one atop the other.

FIGS. 16 and 17 are perspective views of two alternate constructions of the retaining cradle.

In broad outline the invention contemplates a material container for long flexible stock constructed from a plurality of support modules which are constructed and joined together in a manner such as to provide a sling passageway at the joint betweenadjacent ones of the support modules. The construction is such that each container may be readily lifted by a fork lifttruck or comparable prime movers, and stacked atop the arms of a rack, or self-stacked, depending upon the application. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein a material container containing a load of flexible stock 11 is seated atop the tines 28 of a fork lift truck 29. A number of material containers 10 also are shown in self-stacking relationship, and each of these containers can be easily removed from the stack by the fork lift truck, and placed on the arms 26 of the rack 25. Such racks are illustrated in detail in US. Pat. No. 3,164,255. The structure permitting the self stacking is illustrated in exemplary fashion in US. Pat. No. 2,801,752. As shown in front elevation in FIG. 2, the lower portion of the structure of the containers 10 is such that the tines 28 (shown in phantom lines) of the fork lift truck engage the container at a mid-point, and when seated on the arms 26 of the rack 25, the lower portions of the outer ends of the container seat on the arms 26. The container is retained in place on the rack, by means of the end stops 27 on the arms 26. The positions just shown and described demonstrate how readily the container 10 can be moved from place to place, to transport or store the flexible stock 11.

Turning to FIG. 4, it will be seen that a sling passage 13 has been provided in each container 10 so that a sling l7 can be easily passed beneath the flexible stock ll in the container. The sling 17 can be engaged by a spreader beam from a crane or othe. overhead lifting member, to remove the flexible stock 11 from the container 10.

Referring now more specifically to FIG. 3, the material container 10 illustrated has three support modules 12. Each support module contemplates a Usshaped end member 14 including, as noted particularly in the upper central portion of FIG. 3, side members 14s which terminate in an end member 14c. Transverse stringers 15 join the opposed U-shaped end member 14 together, and longitudinal stringers 16 are positioned at the intersection between the transverse stringers 15 and the side members 14s of the U-shaped end members. The U-shaped end members 14 and the stringers l5 and 16 ad vantageously can be made up of angle iron. This structure just described completes the support module 12.

To joinadjaccnt ones of the support modules 12 together, a top plate 18 and a bottom-plate I9 are employed. It may be noted that these top plateslS and bottom plates 19 are affixed to the support modules 12 in a fashion such as to also simultaneously define the sling passages 13. The top plates 18 have bent end members I8e which engage a portion of the interior ofthe side members 14.\' of the U-shapcd end members 14 and are secured to these side members, preferably by welding. The bottom plates 19 are secured, preferably by welding, to the lower extremity of the side members 14s. When affixed in this fashion, the bottom plates I9 define a sling passage 13 which is at least the thickness of the structural members of the U- shaped end members 14 and the transverse stringers 15. This proportional dimension of the sling passage 13 is highlighted in the illustration in FIG. 4 demonstrating the substantial amount of clearance provided for the manual insertion of a sling 17.

For stacking the containers l0 atop one another as shown in FIG. 1, interlock assemblies 20 of the construction shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are provided on them. There it will be seen that truncated pyramidal type top posts 21 are secured atop the U- ,port module I2 is fitted with a bottom ring 22 which is nestingly secured within the lower end of the side members l4s of the U-shaped cnd members 14, again as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. It will be further appreciated that in addition to the interlock assemblies 20 provided between the stacked containcrs 10, that the bottom plates 19 rest atop the joints between the adjacent support modules 12 of the container beneath them, when the containers 10 are stacked as illustrated in FIG. I.

While the container 10 illustrated in FIG. 3 has a longer central support module 12, the same to receive the fork lift truck tines 28 as illustrated in FIG. 2, it will be observed that with four identical support modules 12, a container 10 such as illustrated in FIG. 9 may be assembled. With a four station container 10, the tines of the fork lift truck 28 will engage the two central support modules 12 as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 9.

In FIG. 8, which is an exploded perspective view, it will be seen how the top plate 18, particularly its ends 18c, engage the adjacent side members 14s of the U-shaped end members 14. Also in FIG. 8, the assembled relationship between the bottom ring 22 of the interlock assemblies 20 and the side members 14s of the U-shaped end members 14 will be appreciated.

The container 10m illustrated perspectivelyin FIG. 10 and in transverse section in FIG. 11 is illustrative of a modified material container which can be made from sheet material, and generally imperforate. There it will be seen that the modified container 10m is formed of a plurality of support modules 12m which are joined together by means of a continuous side and bottom plate I8/I9m. Each of the support modules I2: has impcrforate end members 14m, and a transverse base joining member 15111, defining longitudinal angles 16m at their intersections. Of principal importance, however, is the definition of the sling passage 13m as illustrated both in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Inthis manner, the sling 17 can be readily threaded through the sling passage 13m, and thereby engage the flexible longitudinal stock II on centers spaced com parable to the spacing ofthc sling passages 13m. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 10, in phantom lines, the tines 28 ofa fork lift truck can readily engage the modified container 10m in the position defined between two sling passages 13m. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the modified container 10m can be stored atop a rack in the identical fashion as shown in FIG. I for the principal embodiment disclosed and described.

Thus in review it will be seen that two embodiments of material containers with sling clearance have been shown and described in detail. In each one, a support module 12 is the principal building block, and each support module 12 is flanked by a sling passage 13. The proportions of the support modules 12 may vary in length, but their cross sections are uniform. The sling passages may be similarly modified, but as between adjacent sling passages they are substantially identical in cross sectiomEach container 10 is sufficiently rigid and self-supporting to retain the basic configuration of the flexible stock II which is stored therein. and further to permit eithermodular stacking of the containers, storage of the containers on racks, or ready removal ofthe flexible material by means of a sling.

In FIG. 12 there is illustrated still another material container which comprises generally a retaining cradle 40. As indieated above, in many instances, particularly in the cases of semirigid or rigid materials, the long lengths do not require the beam support provided by the material containers l0 and 10m described above. It is only necessary to confine and retain the bundle in a generally rectangular-shape, to permit dense utilization of storage space and to transport the material. In such cases, a pair of retaining cradles, such as the retaining cradles 40, can be used and affixed about the bundle of stock 41 (illustrated in phantom lines), as illustrated in FIG. 12.

The retaining cradles 40 are welded assemblies including two frames 42 which are bent U-shaped and which are joined together by a pair of formed spacers 43. As can be best seen in FIG. 14, these formed spacers 43 are each formed from a length of flat stock which is folded generally U-shaped and in a fashion such as to provide an outer long arm 44- and an inner short arm 45. The outer long arms 44 each have hand holes 46 formed in them, and the upper edges 47 thereof are folded over to provide gripping surfaces for the fingers. The inner short arms 45 each have anchor tabs 48 integrally formed with them, to which are affixed one end of the two halves 50a and 50b ofa tensioning girth device 50, respectively. This tensioning girth device 50 can be two flexible straps 50a and 50b, one of which, in the illustrated case, strap 50a, can have a fastening device such as a buckle 51 affixed to it for securing the two ends of the straps 50a and 50b together.

The stock 11 is placed within the retaining cradles 40 and the tensioning girth device50 affixed about it to maintain the retaining cradle andstock in close relation, the latter assuming a generally rectangular-shape, as can be best seen in H0. 13. The retaining cradles 40 should be spaced-apart a sufficient distance to permit the tines 28 of a fork lift truck to fit between them, as illustrated in phantomin FIG. 12. In this respect, it may be noted that the frames 42 of the retaining cradles 40 are formed or sized so as to support the stock 1'] a sufficient distance above a support surface so that the tines 28 can pass beneath the stock. A bundle of stock 11 thus assembled can be handled in the same manner as described above, in the case of the material containers l0 and 10111.

It may be noted, in HQ 14, that a storing recess 52 is formed by the outer long arm 44 and the inner short arm 45 of the spacers 43, in which the two halves of the tensioning girth device 50 can be stored when not in use. Such aprovision is not necessary, however, it is beneficial in that these members are subject to damage or being lost if left external of the retaining cradles.

As in the case of the material containers l0 and m, it is contemplated that the retaining cradles 40, with or without stock loaded in them, are stackable atop one another. To satisfy this requirement, the ends of each of the two arms of each of the U-shaped frames 42 have nesting seats 54 affixed to them, as illustrated in FIG. 15. If the retaining cradles 40 are loaded, the spacing between the retaining cradles to be, stacked atop another pair, of course, must be the same so that the lower edges of the'frames 42 will seat within the nesting seats 54. v

In F [08. 16 and l7, there are illustrated two modified retaining cradles 56 and 57. The retaining cradle 56 is formed as an integral unit, from a single sheet of flat stock material which is bent generally U-shaped and in a fashion such as to provide a central body portion 58 which is flanked by two flanges 59 and 60. The height of the flanges 59 and 60 again is such that stock is supported at a sufficient height so that the tines of a fork lift truck can pass beneath the stock. The body portion 58 has a hand hole 61 formed in each of its two arm portions. A stock retaining device in the form of a resilient spring 62 is provided, and its ends are releasably secured within a number of spacedapart apertures 63 formed in the flange 60.

The retaining cradle '57 of FIG. 17 is simply a U-shaped member having a number of spaced-apart notches 65 formed in each of its two arms 66 and 67. A retaining device 68 in the form of a resilient loop of material is provided and is seated within aligned ones of the notches 65 in the arms 66 and 67 to retain the stock within the cradle. y

it is apparent thatthe retaining cradle 57 is unstable and would not standalone. Accordingly, a stabilizing plate such as the stabilizing plate 70 illustrated in phantom can be affixed to the retaining cradle, if desired.

While it is primarily intended that the retaining cradles 40, 56 and 57 be used independently of the material containers 10 and 10m, they can be used with these containers, if desired. in

such cases, the retaining cradles are proportioned to seat within the sling passages l3 and 13m formed in the containers 10 and 10m.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, sincecertain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

lclaim:

l. A retaining cradle for securing longsemirigid and rigid stock in a generally rectangular-shaped bundle comprising a substantially U-shaped member having retaining means affixed to it which is adapted to span across the top of the stock disposed with said cradle, said substantially U-shaped member comprising a pair of U-shaped frames which are fixedly secured together in spacedrelation by means of two formed spacers, each of said formed spacers being generally U-shaped and having in one arm thereof a handheld, the other one of its arms having an anchor tabintegrally formed with it, a twopiece tensioning girth device for retaining said stock within said retaining cradle, one end of each of said two pieces thereof being affixed to said anchor tabs on respective ones of said formed spacers, the opposite end of one of said twopieces having fastening means thereon for affixing said twopieces together.

2. The retaining cradle of claim 1 wherein the spacing between the two arms of said formed spacers form a storage pocket for the two pieces of said tensioning girth device. 

